Bombay High Court asks jail authorities to probe undertrial's assault allegation

A 19-year-old lodged in Arthur Road jail has put forth a question before court — are prisons rehabilitation centres or places to create criminals?

Behind bars in a murder case, the undertrial, Imran Chaudhary, informed the sessions court that he was brutally assaulted by a constable on April 20 without reason. The court has taken a cognizance of the complaint and asked the jail superintendent to conduct a medical examination of the accused and file a report on the same on April 27.

Chaudhary had appeared before the court in short pants, saying he wants to show the court the assault marks. In his application, Chaudhary said constable Mahesh Bhosale on April 20 approached the jail's medical ward, where he was admitted, and started calling out names to mark attendance. After finishing that, Chaudhary said, Bhosale came to him and started assaulting him for no reason. He allegedly slapped him and beat him with a stick.

"I wanted to bring this issue to the court's notice, so I wrote an application. I knew that after returning to jail, I might be subjected to the same treatment, but looking at the rising rate of custodial deaths, I decided to speak up."
Advocate Moin Khan, who was appearing on behalf of the accused, said, "We are happy that the court has initiated action against the high-handedness of policemen, who feel that they can take the law in their hands."